Who is the best current NHL player you’d trade for Connor Bedard?
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So, the Connor Bedard 2023 Draft hype will soon reach a fever pitch as the NHL regular season wraps up and the eliminated teams begin their lottery watch.
For this week’s Roundtable, we tackle a ridiculous but fun hypothetical question. Let’s say every player in the league was fair game to be traded. If you could wave a magic wand: who is the BEST player you’d be willing to trade, straight up, for Connor Bedard? This is not to insinuate a trade is on the table; the goal here is to appraise just how high we value him right now.
MATT LARKIN: I’ll start with Nikita Kucherov. I’m confident enough in Bedard’s generational talent that I’m willing to give up a current 100-point superstar – but one who will turn 30 this June and has a history of injury troubles. I’m not willing to surrender a prime-year star in his early to mid 20s in the vein of a Jason Robertson. I think Bedard’s floor is to be a top-10 player in the league, but it’s not the same as knowing it. Am I playing it too safe?
NICK ALBERGA: I’ll go with Tim Stutzle. Even though the 21-year-old has been a beast this season for the Ottawa Senators, I truly believe Bedard has a chance to be a generational talent. Stutzle’s fantastic, but I’m not sure he’s capable of getting to that level. Obviously, it’s a risky proposition going all-in on Bedard before he’s even stepped foot in the NHL, but in this instance, I think the juice is worth the squeeze. Get the paperwork ready.
MIKE MCKENNA: You guys are soft. I’d trade Sidney Crosby. He’s 35 years old and the Penguins aren’t going to compete for the Stanley Cup again until a new wave comes through. And I’m saying this as the guy that picked the Penguins to win it all this season. This is a total scorched earth hypothetical, so the fans don’t matter. Pittsburgh would never trade Crosby in reality. But toss out all the love and nostalgia for the player: wouldn’t it honestly make sense to trade Crosby for Bedard? It really would.
STEVEN ELLIS: I’m VERY confident in Bedard becoming one of the best players in the world. It won’t be long until he’s a top three player. I’m going with David Pastrnak. And, honestly, this was much harder than I thought it would be… because I’m not sure there’s an untouchable in this case other than Connor McDavid. I’m extremely confident that Bedard will become the best player since McDavid, and that the two will have some unbelievable battles for years to come. I’m picking Pastrnak just based on his pure dominance this year, and Boston definitely wants that to continue based on the new deal. But, honestly, the real answer is anyone but McDavid.
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